Betrayal? Despite his poor performance in the UFC, Tom Aspinall surprises everyone by signing a contract with someone who is at odds with Dana White.

Aspinall in a photo shoot. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/tomaspinallofficial

It's no secret that Tom Aspinall has a troubled relationship with Dana White. And, last Thursday (5), in the Principality of Monaco, the UFC heavyweight champion (up to 120,2 kg), who is not having his best moment in the company, made a decision that could worsen his situation there and his relationship with its president. The Englishman signed a contract with Eddie Hearn, leader of Matchroom Boxing, one of the main boxing promoters and an enemy of the executive.

Now, Aspinall, whose father was his manager, will be managed by Hearn, which will put him in direct conflict with Dana White. It's worth noting that the executives are constantly and publicly arguing. Interestingly, last Thursday, the athlete announced he was back in business, leading fans and MMA professionals to believe he meant returning to fight in the UFC.

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Indeed, the Englishman returned, but with a bombshell, different, and surprising piece of news. Currently, Aspinall remains sidelined, recovering from double eye surgery. In October, the athlete defended his undisputed heavyweight title for the first time against Ciryl Gane , but suffered a serious injury due to unintentional eye pokes. Unable to compete, the fight ended in a no contest.

Answer for Dana?

Recently, Eddie Hearn suffered a huge loss at Matchroom Boxing and felt the blow. The executive saw Conor Benn, one of his main stars, sign a lucrative contract with Zuffa Boxing, a boxing organization led by Dana White. Unhappy with the deal, the businessman admitted he was disappointed with the fighter's attitude, lashed out at the UFC leader, and declared war on him.

Aware of his rival's dissatisfaction, Dana called him a coward and a sissy, and promised to continue strengthening his company with the top prospects and stars of boxing. Days later, Hearn officially announced Tom Aspinall as the newest major addition to his talent agency.

In turn, Aspinall openly expressed his disappointment with Dana after the latter implied that he valued the eye pokes applied by Ciryl Gane and that he should have tried to continue the fight. It is true that, despite having Hearn as his new manager, the athlete remains exclusive to the UFC. In any case, the partnership with the executive brings the heavyweight champion closer to migrating to boxing in the future.

Welcome to the team UFC Heavyweight Champ @AspinallMMA – Time to get what's yours 👑

Matchroom Talent Agency 🚀 pic.twitter.com/dAWes5KsR4

— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) March 5, 2026

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